I opened my mouth, preparing to call for help, when the lead vampire blurred over, pulled my back against her chest, and slammed a hand over my mouth.
“We’re not here to hurt you. Don’t scream.”
I stared at her, breathless. Was she serious?
“We came here to find you. To help. We promise you can trust us.” She lifted her hand slightly, just enough for me to speak. “We’ve actually already helped you once.”
“How?” I demanded.
“The Dream Eater,” another said. “We chased it away. At least the first time. It circled back as the rebels approached, and we dared not show ourselves to them.”
“Dream Eaters float.” I gaped, putting the pieces that I’d learned since the attack together with what had happened that night. “And you have wings. That’s why Vale didn’t find footsteps in the snow!”
“Correct. We?—”
“Bleeding skies!” Thantrel screamed.
I jerked as he leapt out of the chair, scooped an empty horn off the ground, and chucked it at the vampire holding me. “Let her go!”
The other two vampires blurred over, and one compelled Thantrel to be silent while the other held him still. The fight rolling through my friend died.
My jaw tightened at just how powerless we were. They’d compelled him so fast and with such little effort.
“Rustling in the rooms. Someone heard,” the vampire who compelled Thantrel whispered.
A few thundering heartbeats later, Vale appeared, his gaze hinging from me to Thantrel, who stood limply in the room. Before Vale leapt at the vampire constraining me, she held up a hand.
“We aren’t hurting her. We just wanted to speak with her. I’ll let go, but please, don’t make noise or attack.”
And then, to my utter shock, she did as she claimed and released me.
“I’m not harmed, Vale. I?—”
The others rushed into the room and suddenly all my friends were staring at me and Thantrel, aghast.
“Than?” Luccan’s voice came out strained. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s compelled,” I said. The fear that had filled me moments ago had dimmed. Now only curiosity simmered. “They want to talk to me. Thantrel surprised them and lashed out, so they compelled him to be silent.”
The vampire holding Thantrel nodded. “I will release him, if that makes you feel better.”
“Do,” Luccan commanded.
She did, and before Thantrel sprang into another drunken attack, Luccan was at his side, calming his drunk brother.
I turned to the vampire who had grabbed hold of me. “Are you Red Assassins?”
“We are,” she replied, dark eyes open and honest. “Butwe’re not here to kill you. We want tojoinyou. To help you if you’ll have us.”
My eyebrows screwed together. “Why?”
Her white wings spread out behind her. “We were born in Winter’s Realm, and our sire turned us against our will. We want to return home and doubt the current king will allow us to do so. However, maybe someone who has been in a situation much like ours will? Could you, if you achieved power, be different enough to change perceptions? And if you would, then we will pledge ourselves to your cause and protect you with our lives.”
Yes, of course, they’d been fae and turned. The wings were one of the first things I’d noticed when they slipped into our room. Then, somehow, they became assassins.
I had to know their story.
“Sit.” I invited them to take chairs. “I’ll hear you out.”
